[2026–2027] Guide to Japanese Art Exhibitions: 13 Autumn and Winter Shows with National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties

From autumn 2026 to spring 2027, exhibitions of Japanese art featuring National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties are held around the country. The Tokyo National Museum’s “Daitokuji: Japan’s Unrivaled Zen Temple” (until Sunday, December 6) shows 14 National Treasures and 69 Important Cultural Properties. At the Nara National Museum, the 78th Annual Exhibition of Shosoin Treasures opened on Saturday, October 24. This article introduces, by region, 13 exhibitions on view or opening soon in Tokyo and the Kanto region, Kansai, Tokai and Kyushu.

Milestone years also coincide. Daitokuji marks the 700th anniversary of its founding, and the Shosoin exhibition 80 years since its first edition. The Museum of the Imperial Collections, Sannomaru Shozokan fully opened on Tuesday, November 3 (national holiday), and the renovated Edo-Tokyo Museum holds a Maruyama Okyo exhibition as its reopening special exhibition. In Atami, the MOA Museum of Art brings together its three National Treasures in a masterpiece exhibition marking ten years since its renovation.

Watch out for rotations, too. The Daitokuji exhibition changes almost all of its works between the first and second periods, and the Tale of Genji exhibition in Kyoto changes the scenes of the National Treasure Tale of Genji Scrolls every two weeks. The National Treasure “Pine Trees in Snow” screens in the Maruyama Okyo exhibition are shown only from November 28 to December 6. If there is a particular work you want to see, check its display period in each article.

Exhibitions in Tokyo and the Kanto region with National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties

700th Anniversary of the Founding, Special Exhibition “Daitokuji: Japan’s Unrivaled Zen Temple” (Tokyo National Museum, Heiseikan)

The exhibition gathers temple treasures handed down at Daitokuji in Murasakino, Kyoto, its sub-temples and temples of the Daitokuji school. According to the organizer, it is the first exhibition in 41 years to bring Daitokuji’s treasures together, and the first in Tokyo. The principal image enshrined in the Sanmon gate, “Seated Shaka Nyorai,” and the “Standing Statue of Sen no Rikyu” are shown publicly for the first time, and Muqi’s National Treasure “Guanyin, Monkeys and Crane” is shown in the first period (until November 8).

Dates: Wednesday, October 14 – Sunday, December 6, 2026
Venue: Tokyo National Museum, Heiseikan (Ueno, Tokyo)
Details in our article on the Daitokuji exhibition

Special Exhibition “The Birth of Karamono: Exploring the Origins of Tea Ceremony Design” (Sen-Oku Hakuko Kan, Tokyo)

The exhibition traces the origins of karamono, the Chinese objects prized in the medieval tea ceremony, back to ancient China about 3,000 years ago. According to the museum’s press materials, about 80 works are shown, including six National Treasures and nine Important Cultural Properties. The National Treasure “Landscape in Autumn,” attributed to Emperor Huizong, is shown in the first period (until November 23) and “Landscape in Winter” in the second period (from November 25).

Dates: Tuesday, November 3 (national holiday) – Sunday, December 13, 2026
Venue: Sen-Oku Hakuko Kan, Tokyo (Roppongi, Tokyo)
Details in our article on The Birth of Karamono

Grand Opening Special Exhibitions (The Museum of the Imperial Collections, Sannomaru Shozokan)

To mark its full opening, the museum holds a series of special exhibitions. The first, “Treasures of the Imperial Family: Where Beauty Arises,” adds Shosoin treasures and treasures donated by Horyuji to the museum’s National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties; it is said to be the first time Shosoin treasures have been exhibited within the Imperial Palace. From February 4, 2027, all 30 scrolls of Ito Jakuchu’s National Treasure “Colorful Realm of Living Beings” are displayed together, which, according to the museum, is the first such display in Japan in about ten years.

Dates: Treasures of the Imperial Family: Tuesday, November 3 (national holiday), 2026 – Sunday, January 24, 2027 / National Treasure Colorful Realm of Living Beings: A World of Color: Thursday, February 4 – Sunday, March 14, 2027
Venue: The Museum of the Imperial Collections, Sannomaru Shozokan (East Gardens of the Imperial Palace, Tokyo)
Details in our article on the full opening of the Sannomaru Shozokan

Maruyama Okyo: Beyond the Real, a Spatial Revolution (Edo-Tokyo Museum, Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts)

With more than 120 of Okyo’s works, the exhibition traces his career from his early perspective pictures (megane-e) to the wall and sliding-door paintings for Daijoji Temple in his late years. Together with the actual paintings handed down at Daijoji, three rooms including the “Peacock Room” are recreated at the venue. The Important Cultural Property “Pine Tree and Peacocks” sliding doors are shown throughout, and after Tokyo the exhibition travels to the Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts. The Edo-Tokyo Museum and nearby museums are introduced in our Ryogoku and Kiyosumi-Shirakawa art guide.

Dates: Tokyo: Saturday, November 28, 2026 – Sunday, January 24, 2027 / Osaka: Saturday, February 6 – Sunday, April 4, 2027
Venues: Edo-Tokyo Museum (Ryogoku, Tokyo); Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts
Details in our article on the Maruyama Okyo exhibition

National Treasure Pine Trees in Snow and the Four Seasons (Mitsui Memorial Museum)

Centered on Maruyama Okyo’s National Treasure “Pine Trees in Snow” screens, a New Year’s tradition at the museum, the exhibition traces depictions of the four seasons and weather through calligraphy, paintings and crafts from the collection. According to the museum, the snow is rendered not with white pigment but by leaving the paper ground unpainted. Four “Seashore in the Four Seasons” screens in the Maruyama school style are also shown for the first time. Nihonbashi, where the museum is located, and museums around Tokyo Station are summarized in our Marunouchi, Kyobashi and Nihonbashi art guide.

Dates: Saturday, December 12, 2026 – Saturday, January 30, 2027
Venue: Mitsui Memorial Museum (Nihonbashi, Tokyo)
Details in our article on National Treasure Pine Trees in Snow and the Four Seasons

The Art of the Lotus Sutra: To Create Is to Pray (Suntory Museum of Art)

The exhibition traces works based on the Lotus Sutra from ancient to early modern times under three themes: “building pagodas,” “copying and dedicating sutras” and “making images.” Hasedera Temple’s (Nara) National Treasure “Bronze Plaque of the Lotus Sutra Preaching” is shown throughout, and Shitennoji Temple’s (Osaka) National Treasure “Lotus Sutra Booklet on Fan-Shaped Paper, Volume 1” from January 13. The Important Cultural Property “Elephant and Lion,” acquired by the museum in 2025, is shown publicly for the first time.

Dates: Saturday, December 12, 2026 – Sunday, February 7, 2027
Venue: Suntory Museum of Art (Roppongi, Tokyo)
Details in our article on The Art of the Lotus Sutra

Japanese art exhibitions in Kansai: the Shosoin exhibition, The Tale of Genji and Edo painting from the British Museum

[Ended] The 78th Annual Exhibition of Shosoin Treasures (Nara National Museum)

Shosoin treasures centered on items cherished by Emperor Shomu are shown, including the Persian-style Lacquered Ewer and the red-stained engraved ivory go stones known as Kogebachiru no Kishi. Viewing generally requires a timed-entry ticket purchased in advance, and the Late Discount applies to evening entry slots. The museum is open every day during the exhibition.

Dates: Saturday, October 24 – Monday, November 9, 2026
Venue: Nara National Museum, East and West Wings (Nara City)
Details in our article on the Shosoin exhibition

Special Exhibition “The Tale of Genji: The Radiance of the Court” (Kyoto National Museum, Tokyo National Museum)

The organizers describe it as the first Tale of Genji exhibition at the Kyoto National Museum in about 50 years and the first ever at the Tokyo National Museum. At the Kyoto venue, the National Treasure Tale of Genji Scrolls are displayed with scenes changed every two weeks, and all five extant volumes of the Teika manuscript of The Tale of Genji are shown together only from November 3 to 15. The Kyoto venue also has a section centered on Noh, and the Tokyo venue one centered on ukiyo-e.

Dates: Kyoto: Tuesday, October 6 – Sunday, November 29, 2026 / Tokyo: Tuesday, January 19 – Sunday, March 14, 2027
Venues: Kyoto National Museum, Heisei Chishinkan Wing; Tokyo National Museum, Heiseikan
Details in our article on the Tale of Genji exhibition

A Profusion of Flowers: Edo Painting Across the Sea from the British Museum’s Japanese Collection (Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka)

From the British Museum’s Japanese collection of about 40,000 items, the exhibition presents mainly Edo-period folding screens, hanging scrolls and handscrolls, along with prints by eight ukiyo-e artists. Kitagawa Utamaro’s painting “Courtesan Reading a Letter,” which the organizer describes as returning from Britain for the first time, is also shown. Kano school sliding-door paintings long divided among London, Aomori and Seattle are displayed together.

Dates: Saturday, October 31, 2026 – Sunday, January 31, 2027
Venue: Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka (Kita-ku, Osaka)
Details in our article on the British Museum’s Edo painting exhibition

Japanese art exhibitions in Tokai and Kyushu: Bigelow, the Red and White Plum Blossoms screens, bronze sutras and Himiko’s mirrors

100 Years After His Death: Bigelow, a Lost Collection and the Dawn of Modern Nihonga (Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art)

An exhibition marking 100 years since the death of William Bigelow, who laid the foundation of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston’s Japanese art collection. About 100 works are shown in each of the first and second periods, including items from his former collection, centered on ukiyo-e paintings that returned to Japan in the early Showa era, and works by painters associated with the Kangakai, which Bigelow supported. Kano Hogai’s Important Cultural Property “Merciful Mother Kannon” is shown only from December 1 to 13.

Dates: Friday, October 30 – Sunday, December 13, 2026
Venue: Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art (Higashi-ku, Nagoya)
Details in our article on the Bigelow exhibition

Renewal 10th Anniversary Masterpiece Exhibition: National Treasure Red and White Plum Blossoms Screens (MOA Museum of Art)

The museum shows its three National Treasures together: Ogata Korin’s “Red and White Plum Blossoms” screens, Nonomura Ninsei’s “Tea Leaf Jar with Wisteria Design in Overglaze Enamels” and the calligraphy album “Kanbokujo.” The dates are timed for plum blossom season, and the museum recommends combining a visit with the view of the adjacent Zuiunkyo plum garden. From February 26, an exhibition bringing together all 46 prints of Hokusai’s Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji follows.

Dates: Saturday, January 9 – Wednesday, February 24, 2027
Venue: MOA Museum of Art (Atami City, Shizuoka)
Details in our article on the MOA Museum of Art’s Red and White Plum Blossoms screens

Golden Sutras: The National Treasure Bronze Lotus Sutra and Sutra Containers from the Sacred Mt. Shioji (Onojo City Museum)

Centered on the National Treasure “Bronze Lotus Sutra” dedicated at the Fugen Cave on Mt. Kubote, the exhibition introduces the culture of sutra mounds in the Heian period. According to the organizer, all 33 National Treasure bronze sutra plates are displayed together. Sutra containers from Mt. Shioji, a local mountain where many sutra mounds were built, are also shown, and admission is 300 yen for adults.

Dates: Saturday, October 24 – Sunday, December 13, 2026
Venue: Onojo City Museum (Onojo City, Fukuoka)
Details in our article on Golden Sutras

Special Exhibition “Himiko’s Mirrors: How Triangular-Rimmed Deity-and-Beast Mirrors Built the Yamato Kingship” (Kyushu National Museum)

The exhibition explores the birth of the Yamato kingship through the “one hundred bronze mirrors” Himiko received from the emperor of Wei and the triangular-rimmed deity-and-beast mirrors excavated from burial mounds around the country. Besides the Important Cultural Property “Triangular-Rimmed Deity-and-Beast Mirror Inscribed with the First Year of Zhengshi” and the National Treasure “Mirror with Animal Band in Relief,” a newly discovered mirror excavated from the Tomio Maruyama Kofun in Nara Prefecture is also on display.

Dates: Saturday, October 31, 2026 – Monday, January 11, 2027 (national holiday)
Venue: Kyushu National Museum (Dazaifu City, Fukuoka)
Details in our article on the Himiko’s Mirrors exhibition

Frequently asked questions

Which exhibitions show the most National Treasures?

By number of works, the Daitokuji exhibition includes 14 National Treasures and 69 Important Cultural Properties, and The Birth of Karamono six National Treasures and nine Important Cultural Properties. The MOA Museum of Art’s masterpiece exhibition shows its three National Treasures together, and at the Onojo City Museum you can see all 33 National Treasure bronze sutra plates at once.

Which exhibitions require reservations?

The Shosoin exhibition generally requires a timed-entry ticket purchased in advance, and the Sannomaru Shozokan special exhibitions use timed entry and do not sell same-day tickets. The Daitokuji exhibition and the Maruyama Okyo exhibition (Tokyo) do not require advance reservations. The Himiko’s Mirrors exhibition has no advance tickets; only same-day tickets are sold at the venue.

Summary

From the Daitokuji and Shosoin exhibitions in autumn to Okyo and Pine Trees in Snow over the New Year, and the Colorful Realm of Living Beings and the Red and White Plum Blossoms screens in 2027, opportunities to see National Treasures continue into spring, so check the display periods and plan ahead. In Tokyo, “Hakuin World” at the Eisei Bunko Museum and the Aizu Museum of Waseda University and the free “Playful Mononoke” at the National Archives of Japan are also on. The Nezu Museum’s “Bugaku Costumes” and the Ota Memorial Museum of Art’s Katsushika Oi exhibition are introduced in our Omotesando, Aoyama and Harajuku art guide. For five days until Tuesday, November 3 (national holiday), there is also a special viewing at Senso-ji’s Emado of about 50 large votive paintings by Utagawa Kuniyoshi and others and the original “Senso-ji Kanbun Engi Scroll” (our article on the special viewing of the Denboin Garden and Emado).

*Information as of October 20, 2026. Please check each article and the official websites for dates, prices and reservations.

*Top image: Ito Jakuchu, “Rooster and Hen with Nandina” from Colorful Realm of Living Beings, The Museum of the Imperial Collections, Sannomaru Shozokan (public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

*This article was compiled by the TOKYO ART SPHERE editorial team based on TOKYO ART SPHERE’s individual articles and official information from the organizers.

Text: TOKYO ART SPHERE Editorial Team

A note from the publisher

*Disclosure: “ASAKUSA CULTURE & LIGHTS 2026” (projection mapping on the Main Hall and Hozomon Gate of Senso-ji and the special viewing of the Denboin Garden and Emado), introduced in this article, is an event planned and produced by HITOHATA, INC., an affiliate of HITOHATA ASSOCIATION, the general incorporated association that operates TOKYO ART SPHERE (About us).